LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

Shelf it^o 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



THE 



INFALLIBLE GUIDE 



FOR 



HONEST PEOPLE 






ByF. A. UNITS, H. L. 

A. D. 1880. 



061 Lh 



Entered according to Act of Congress by F. A. Unus, in the 
Office of the Librarian of Congress, A. D. 1880. 



PEEFACE. 



Pebsons who wish to do well, and who are will- 
ing to contribute their mite towards liberating the 
Human Race from theological, political and social 
slavery, may find a base of operation in the follow- 
ing Brief. 

We are fully confident that the correctness of 
the principles set forth in the few pages of which 
this Brief is made up, will immediately become 
apparent to such of our readers as are rational 
persons. 

F. A. Units, H. L. 



I.— THE CHURCH {Excelsior or SpacionisL) 

1. We acknowledge the Supreme Power, mani- 
fest in Nature, as God — the One, Exclusive, Primitive 
Power. 

Note. — We do not wish to be here understood to say that 
Nature is God— but that the Supreme Power manifest in and 
through Nature is God. 

God must be independent and primitive — but, by analysis, we 
find that space is the only possible existence possessing 
these predicated attributes; and hence, we necessarily infer 
that space is God— the Spikit that manipulates the uni- 
verse, the ungenerated Power or Force. 

Some tell us that God made space; and, for the sake of in- 
quiry, let us assume that God did make Space. The ques- 
tion then occurs, Where was God, when He made it? He 
must have been somewhere, but without Space there could 
be no somewhere, and hence space must have been ante- 
cedent to their fancied Deity, and such fancied Deity a 
Nonprimitive Dependent Being, depending on Space, and 
hence no God. 

2. We assume that God originated man — i. e., 
caused Man to exist. 

3. God is either omniscient, or He is not om- 
niscient. 

Note. — By "Omniscient 1 ' we understand having a knowl- 
edge of all things, past, present and future. 

4. If God is omniscient, Man is not ultimately- 
accountable for any -of his own actions. 

5. We believe that God will either reform each 
individual Man until He has made him what He 
would like to have him be, or else that He will 
annihilate him entirely. 



3 



Note.— By "annihilation" understand a terminus of indi- 
viduality. 

6. We reject the doctrine of Eternal Punishment 
as applied to individual man; such doctrine being 
defamatory of God and unjust toward man. 

A temporary state of purification, after death, is 
possible. 

Note.— If God is omniscient, man is only acting out the 
will of God; and, if God would punish a man eternally, for 
what He Himself compels the man to do, such a God would 
be a beauty, indeed ! 

If God is not omniscient, but makes a man, and leaves it 
to time to develop what the man is, or what he shall be- 
come, why, then, if the man proves worthless, morality re- 
quires that God should either reform or annihilate him. 

7. We believe that each individual man is being 

• created, during his entire stay upon the earth; and 
that he is thus being fitted, or tested, for some ul- 
terior position. 

Note.— It must be evident to all reflecting persons that 
certain things are created. Man has only to ask himself 
■whether his own mind is not an object of creation. If it 
were not, he would probably have some recollection of his 
experience anterior to his advent into his present mode of 
existence. But he has no such recollection. 

8. We believe that Immortality is not an essen- 
tial attribute of Soul, but that God will grant Im- 
mortality to whomsoever He chooses. 

Note. — If God created man essentially immortal, He cre- 
ated something which He cannot control, and, consequently, 
He would be no longer God. 

When we use the phrase, " That God will grant immortality," 
we wish to be understood that God will grant the souls of 
such as He chooses to exist through an indefinite period of 
time, reserving to Himself the power of annihilation at any 
moment. 

• 9. In our dealings with our fellow-men we adopt 
the rule given to man at the time he originated, to 
wit: "Do as you would be done by." 

Note. — In the application of this rule, in cases of arbitra- 
tion, the arbitrator and the witness should always assume the 
position of honor, uprightness, integrity, truth, justice, 
virtue and right. 



4 



10 . Inasmuch as God can reveal himself with 
the same facility to the entire human race as He 
can reveal Himself to one individual, we believe 
that the welfare of mankind requires that any per- 
son supposing himself to have received a special 
revelation from God is morally bound to keep that 
real or imaginary revelation to himself, and not to 
annoy others by intruding it upon them. 

Note— It is possible that special revelations were never 
given, and it is more than probable that miracles were never 
wrought. If, however, God should wish me to do a certain 
thing, and special revelation should be found expedient, it 
really seems more rational that G-od should reveal Ris will 
to me directly, than that He should go and tell my neighbor 
what He wished to have me do, and authorize that neighbor 
to cudgel me into the desired path. 

The doctrine that special revelations and attendant com- 
missions are given to one man, for the benefit of others, 
throws open the door to every impostor. 

And further as to miracles: The mass of the people, and 
even the literati, have never been competent to determine, 
with regard to certain remarkable occurrences, whether such 
occurrences might be considered miracles, or whether they were the 
results of the operation of established laws. Taking t'lis fact 
in conjunction with other known facts, that accounts of re- 
markable events increase and undergo transformation as 
they circulate— and, that there has always existed a class of 
persons seeking to avail themselves of every opportunity to 
deceive the people, whenever they could make gain by so 
doing — taking all these facts into connection, all argument 
that may be adduced in favor of miracles, reduces to zero, 
or is worth nothing. 

Also, G-od would be a trifier, to present something to the 
people as evidence, knowing that incompetency on the part 
of the people disables them from discriminating between 
the genuine and the fraudulent. 

Therefore, we say: It is more than probable that miracles 
were never wrought. 

It would seem, also, that the pretended miracle- workers, 
and, also, the abettors of such pretenders, have been, and 
still are, constantly presenting an insult, both to the human 
understanding, and to Deity Himself. 

Any man can prophesy, but the truth or falsity of the 
prophecy will depend, mainly, on the anterior observation 
and experience of the prophet. 



5 



The sum of human nature still 
Is constant; 

And like effects must from like causes come. 

Observe the ebb and flow of human strife, 

And we shall find a time 

Within the life of every man, 

So circumstanced, that, properly, 

It may be called a representative 

Or type of antecedent time. 

The causes like, the probability then is 

That like results must follow. 

The shrewd one, then, may prophesy 

With something like precision; 

And, ifghe be sufficient knave, 

He may, upon an ignorant multitude 

So palm himself 

As special messenger of Deity. 

11. We believe that God is capable of taking 
care of Himself, and hence for man to attempt to 
fight for or against Him is an absurdity; yet we 
recommend that all persons should speak of God 
with reverence and seek His protection and His 
guidance. 

Note. — How ridiculous it is to hear people calling them- 
selves "Soldiers of the Cross," as though God were "depen- 
dent, puerile and idiotic.' 1 

12. We hold that all men should be free to 
choose their own religion. 

13. Any person may become a member of the 
Church by assenting to the doctrines thereof and 
pledging himself to support its interests. 

14. The interest of the Church and the welfare 
of its members require that regular meetings 
should be held, for the purpose of friendly greet- 
ing, for conversation, and for instruction. Such 
meetings, therefore, shall be held at least once in 
each week, so far as circumstances will admit. 

Note. — The propriety of holding regular meetings cannot 
be too strongly impressed upon the minds of all honest 
men — for the reason that error has been allowed to triumph 
through combinations of those indorsing false religions — 



8 



whilst honest men and correct thinkers have been satisfied 
to remain silent, or to operate singlerhanded and alone. 

15. There shall exist in the Church an order of 
Literati, or Men of Letters, which order shall have 
the entire control of matters educational, both 
juvenile and adult, and no person shall presume 
to teach, formally, either science or doctrine, except 
he be licensed by said order. 

Any member, also, of the Church may become a 
member of the Men of Letters, provided he possess 
the requisite qualifications. 

And further — any person, to become a member 
of the Men of Letters, must have read a course of 
Mathematics entire, embracing the several varieties 
of Calculus. 

He shall, also, have read the elements of Physics, 
of Metaphysics, and of Drawing, and he shall, also, 
have read the Latin Language, so far as to be able 
to read and translate the Commentaries of Caesar. 

He must, also, be Master of Accounts, and of 
Commercial Forms, and be versed in General History. 

Likewise, before a person is admitted a member 
of the Men of Letters, he shall pass a satisfactory 
examination before a committee appointed by the 
order; and if his examination prove him compe- 
tent, he shall be admitted. 

Every member of the order, by virtue of his 
position, shall be entitled to teach in all the ramifi- 
cations of literature and doctrine — his admission 
to the order being a license to that effect; but a 
special license shall be required to justify all other 
persons, and such special license shall designate to 
what extent the bearer is capable. 



7 



Each member of the Men of Letters shall be en- 
titled to the appellation, Homo Literarum (H. L.) 

Note. The propriety of confining all "formal instruction. " 

to be given by " Men of Letters,' 1 becomes sufficiently ap- 
parent when we consider that the Man of Education is the 
only one capable of knowing the existences that are found, 
and consequently the only one capable of classifying such 
existences, whether real or ideal, material or immaterial. 
[ We refer to instruction ivithin the Church Limits.] 

16. The Men of Letters shall appoint, annually, 
a Lecturer for each of the Primary Divisions of 
the Church, and likewise, every fourth year, a 
Curator, to superintend the interests of the entire 
Church. 

17. Such other officials shall be appointed, from 
time to time, as may be deemed expedient. 

18. At any regular meeting of any division of 
the Church, the Lecturer shall read either the 
whole or such portions of these Articles as his dis- 
cretion may direct or dictate. 



II.— THE STATE {Republican.) 
Politically we hold — 

1. That all men, by nature^ are entitled to 
equal facilities in the prosecution of happiness . 

2. That property is the first essential to happi- 
ness. 

3. That all property is the property of God. 

4. That established and received Government, 
being the highest power operating solely upon the 
earth, is the more immediate representative of God. 

Note.— Although government is the proper representative 
of God. yet a government reflects the People, and is always 



8 



adapted to their state or condition, e. g., a vicious people 
will have a vicious government. 

A moral people will have a moral government, and when 
the people constitute the government, the People are God's 
representative. 

5. That individual man, justly, can hold prop- 
erty only in trust. 

6. That property, found in the possession of 
any person, at the time of his decease, should im- 
mediately revert to the Government, as God's rep- 
resentative. 

7. That, annually, the reverted property found 
in possession of Government should be distributed 
equally among those young persons who may have, 
immediately at the time, arrived at the age of ma- 
jority — e. g., the reverted property for the year x 
should be distributed equally among such as arrive 
at majority during the year x — twenty-one years 
being the age of majority. 

Note. — To insure honesty in the management of property, 
every man should be compelled to keep a set of books, giv- 
ing at all times a complete exhibit of his estate and busi- 
ness, and, on failing to do so, he should be put under guar- 
dian. Every person should be prohibited, under severe 
penalties, from smuggling his property, during life. 

Note to State Articles. — The correctness of our "Articles of 
State" is so patent that we hold all men under a moral obli- 
gation to vote for no candidate for office unless such candi- 
date indorses such Articles. Outside of these articles there 
is no possibility of improving the temporal condition of the 
human race. 

Were these principles incorporated into our constitutional 
law, crime would diminish at least fifty per cent., and labor 
would then be honorable. 

We hold, also, that al] men who refuse to endorse these 
principles are not morally competent to fill any office of 
either profit or trust. 



9 



CURRENCY. 

The legitimate use of Currency is to facilitate 
exchanges; and the material used should be the 
cheapest, most efficient and convenient attainable, i.e., 
the material used for home purposes. 

If costly material be used at all, it should be 
held by the Government, and reserved for foreign 
trade and travel. 

Whatever article may be fixed upon for home 
currency, should be made the only legal tender, 
and a penalty imposed for using any other material. 



DIAGRAM OF EXISTENCES. 

The following Diagram presents a complete 
classification of Existences, the first thing of the 
kind, we believe, that has ever been exhibited. 

The Diagram is immediately followed by such 
explanatory notes as were deemed expedient. 



10 



1. Material — 
(Matter.) 



] . Bependent- 
(Created.) 



fl. Keal.^j 



fl, Independent. [ 1. Space— 
(Priwufiuc.) 



2. Immaterial — 
ilSpirit.) 



{God.) 
{ 1. Animal Soul 

2. Gravity. 

3. Electricity. 

4. Magnetism 

5. Cohesion. 

6. Adhesion. 

7. Heat. 



2. Dependent. 
( Created. ) 



1. Abstract 
Ideas. 



f 1. Form. 
| 2. Measure: as 
\ Time, 
j Motion, 
[ Capacity, 
etc. 



8. Vegetable 

Life. 

9. Affinity. 

10. Galvanism 

11. Elasticity 

12. Light. 

13. Angels, et 



[2. Ideal. ^ 2. Sensation, 



fl. Sight, 
| 2. Feeling, 
«{ 3. Taste, 
| 4. Smell and 
15. Hearing. 



3. Things of Im- 
I agination. 



11 



' NOTES TO DIAGKAM OF EXISTENCES. 

1. Existences are either Real or Ideal. Real Existence 
is either Matter or Spirit; and Ideal Existence is neither 
Matter nor Spirit. 

2. Matter, of itself, is inert; and this fact renders it in- 
capable, in itself, of presenting any obstruction, or of mak- 
ing any impression. 

Independent of Spirit, Matter could not exist in any defi- 
nite form whatever, and, probably, it is never found in such 
independent or disconnected state; and, if so found, it must 
approximate very nearly to nothing— as having no capacity, 
and no.attribute, except a susceptibility of being made the 
tool of spirit. 

Atoms of Matter, even if there be such things, cannot exist 
independent of Spirit; for, supposing them to exist, they 
must be composed of parts, and those parts bound together 
by Spirit. 

Matter, without Spirit, may be considered almost an 
equivalent for zero. 

3. Forci. — The Primitive Force is Space^, or God, and all 
Primary created Force is Primary created Spirit. 

4. Motion.— Motion is an Ideal Existence. Motion is not 
co-ordinate with Force, but an evidence of Force — as there 
could be no motion until there was something to move, and 
some Force to put that something into motion. 

5. Friction. — Friction is antagonism of Spirit, or Force, 
and, when considered abstractly, becomes Ideal. 

The operation, or presence, of some varieties of Spirit, is 
always manifest, and is constant, whilst other varieties give 
no evidence of their presence, without being excited. 

Friction is one of the modes of exciting Spirit. 

Light and Heat are, in many cases,- excited by Friction, 
and, probably, they seldom manifest themselves without 
being so excited. 

6. It is possible that sundry of the Forces found in Na- 
ture are nothing more nor less than excited cohesion. 

7. Cause and Effect.— Whether the doctrine of the 
correlation of Forces ba true or untrue, Effect will always 
be proportioned to the amount of acting Force. 

There is this correlation existing among Forces — that 
they are all attributes of Deity, each an infinite in itself. 

God Himself, in all his attributes, is Pure Space — an ag- 
gregate of infinites; and all created existences are neither 
more nor less than so many varieties of Special Space, as 
being composed of special attributes of God, and yet, no 
one of these created existences, being God in itself. All 
real existences, except God, are created. 



12 



8. Time. — Time is a measure of duration, a mental con- 
ception. But there could be no duration, until there was 
something to endure; and no Time, until there was force of 
mind to conceive the measure. Time is Ideal, i.e., neither 
Matter nor Spirit. 



THEORY OF CREATION. 

In accordance with the Mathematical proposition 
that " From nothing, nothing comes," we reject the 
hypothesis that " all things created were created out 
of nothing,"— which hypothesis certainly culmi- 
nates in the conclusion that nothing has ever been 
created; but the Soul of Man bears him sufficient 
testimony that its individuality did not exist until 
its union or junction with the physical man; and 
hence we infer that certain things are created. 

We have abundant evidence, also, in the creation 
or growth of plants and animals at the present 
day, that antecedent force and material are neces- 
sary to creation. 

The only Creator or Creative Power, is God, the 
Primitive Power or Force, Allah, Space or Deity. 

We use the expressions, God, Primitive Power or 
Force, Allah, Space, and Deity, as synonymous. 

God must be independent, and primitive. He must 
be infinite in extent and duration. He must possess 
every possible force and attribute. He must possess 
all possible intelligence. He must possess all possible 
power. 

No particular portion of Deity is to be considered 
specially as the Head, the Hand, or the Foot; but 
the possession of all possible power enables Him 
to dispose of and to locate His attributes, accord- 
ing to His pleasure. 

This all possible power enables Him to abstract 
certain of His attributes from certain of His parts, 
and to impose certain of His attributes upon cer- 
tain other of His parts, as He may deem expedient. 

Assume, now, that from a certain portion of 
Space all intelligence and force were abstracted: 



13 



What, then, would remain in such portion of Space? 
"Why, simply, Inertia, or, what is vulgarly called, 
Matter — matter disconnected with force; and such 
matter in a state of general distribution. 

Here, then, we should have Matter created — 
ready to become the tool of such force as might be 
imposed. 

Matter being thus formed, God, by the imposi- 
tion of the Forces, Cohesion, Gravity, etc., in due 
proportion — (Forces inherent in Himself, and sub- 
ject to His control) — probably created Air, Earth, 
and Water. Thus, then, the Mineral Kingdom was 
probably formed, or created. 

Subsequently, God had only to impose upon 
certain particles of this Kingdom a certain amount 
of His inherent force, suitable in quantity and 
quality to form the Germs and Seeds of plants — 
which Germs and Seeds, taking root into the Min- 
eral Kingdom, in due course would develop the 
Vegetable Kingdom. 

By the foregoing processes, two of the Kingdoms 
of Nature are rationally developed. 
• In what appertains to the creation of the Ani- 
mal Kingdom our remarks relate exclusively to 
Man, as what relates to him will apply, to a greater 
or less extent, to all animals. 

It is also well to observe that Naturalists have 
never yet been able to draw the exact line of dis- 
tinction between the two Kingdoms, Animal and 
Vegetable. 

The first People must, of course, have come into 
the World in a manner different from that in 
which the Human family is at present perpetuated. 
The adult must have been the first formed, as there 
was no receptacle for the deposit of the Germ, — 
or, at any rate, the first People, on their first indi- 
vidual appearance, must have approximated, more 
or less nearly, to the adult state or condition. 

When we take into consideration, the attributes 
and the power of Deity, the constitution of Man 
and the peculiarities of the three Natural Kingdoms 



14 



at the present time, it is possible, and quite prob- 
able that the Germ of the Physical Man was at 
first imposed upon particles of matter, and that the 
Physical Man was developed in the Earth after 
the manner of a vegetable, and its parts thus per- 
fected. 

When the Physical Man had thus matured, prob- 
ably, a Spark of Intelligence, the Germ of the Soul, 
was then imposed; and the Individuality of the Soul 
was thus and then begun. 

The individual People, upon the imposition of 
this Germ, or Spark of Intelligence, soon loosened 
themselves from the Earth, and came forth — per- 
haps, in somewhat of a savage state— requiring to 
be educated through the medium of the senses, 
much after the manner in which an infant, at the 
present time, receives its education. 

The Germ of the Soul being once imposed, its 
individual force is begun; and this force continues 
to increase, and the Soul, as it were, continues to 
expand, from the time of this imposition of its 
Germ ; and, on having reached its acme, if it should 
be the pleasure of Deity, He may allow its individ- 
uality to exist through all subsequent time. 

Creation, as executed by Deity, appears simply 
to be the abstraction, imposition, or combination 
of the attributes and forces constituent in Himself. 

In conclusion, we would say that God, notwith- 
standing the variety of His attributes, must be a 
Unit — Unity being essential to the existence of 
Deity at all — and, finally, that Space is God, — em- 
bracing and sustaining all things within Itself, and 
being the only possible existence to which, or 
to whom, the attributes of Deity can be ascribed. 



EECOGNITION. 

Thou Great First Cause, Eternal Space, 

All things depend on Thee, 
Such as have sight may see Thy face — 

To Thee we how the knee. 



15 



CBEATION, AND ECONOMY OF CKEATION. 

We are constant eye-witnesses of Creation and 
Annihilation, as continually going on around and 
about us, in the growth of plants and animals, and 
their subsequent decomposition, observing here, 
that Annihilation is simply a terminus of indi- 
viduality. 

The plant or animal reaches its acme, in the 
way of creation, and then, presently, annihilation 
begins. The individuality is terminated or an- 
nihilated ; and the plant or animal, exists no longer ; 
but the components of the individual, being attri- 
butes of Deity, are indestructible; and they may be 
reincorporated into Deity Himself, or they may be 
reserved and enter into new combinations in the 
creation of new individualities. 

In our Theory of Creation we have suggested that 
the physical portion of the animal originated in 
the vegetable kingdom. 

It is, perhaps, the most probable, that the phy- 
sical land animals originated in families of plants, 
producing underground stems — which families, 
in all probability, were widely distributed over the 
surface of the earth — the species partaking in 
every locality, of the peculiarities of the soil and 
climate of that locality. 

It is upon this supposition only that we can sat- 
isfactory account for the peculiarities of the differ- 
ent races of men, as presented at the present time. 

The families in which the physical animals 
originated, may, some of them, exist in this latter 
day, in a degenerate form; or, they may be entire- 
ly extinct. 

It is not important that we should know whether 
any of those families yet exist or not. 

That the origin of land animals was in families 
of plants producing underground stems is the 
more plausible supposition, for the reason that 
they, for the most part, are made up of nodes 
and internodes, or joints and spaces between 



16 



joints, after the manner of the stems referred to. 

What we wish to speak of more particularly in 
this chapter is the Economy of Creation. 

It seems undoubtedly to have been the intent of 
the Creator that the earth should sustain a large 
animal kingdom; but in order that it might do this 
it was necessary to be so manipulated, or its con- 
nections to be so ordered, as to enable it to pro- 
duce the required amount of nourishment for the 
animals. 

The nutritious substance of the animal is Pro- 
teine, and this proteine originates in the vegetable 
kingdom. 

To support a large animal kingdom a large 
amount of proteine becomes necessary ; and hence, 
a large vegetable kingdom is required . 

But a large vegetable kingdom, especially for the 
production of proteine, could not exist if the major 
part of the surface of the earth were occupied by 
animal producing plants — which must have been 
the case, had the original mode of creation been 
continued. 

To reserve the surface of the earth, therefore, 
for the growth of protiene-producing vegetation, it ' 
it became necessary to change the mode of animal 
creation; and hence, the propriety of so constitut- 
ing animals as to enable every species to produce 
or to perpetuate its own kind. 

The change, then, from the primary mode of 
creation to the present mode of propagation, may 
be looked upon as a matter of economy on the 
part of Deity. 

This change was made, not only as a matter of 
economy, but probably, also, with a view to the 
elevation of certain portions of the animal king- 
dom, in habit and propensity. 

To illustrate this latter ^iew, let us suppose the 
entire surface of the earth had continued to be 
occupied by animal-producing plants only, and 
what then would have been the state or condition 
of things? 



17 



There being no plants for the special production 
of proteine, the alternative for the animals would 
have been for one to prey upon another; and this 
would have been the only alternative for man him- 
self. 

Under this alternative, the members of the ani- 
mal kingdom would have been perpetually at war, 
one with another; and hence, any approximation 
to civilization would have been impossible. 

Hence, we conclude that the mode of creation 
was changed for a double purpose : 1st, as a matter 
of economy; and 2d, with a view to the elevation 
of certain portions of the animal kingdom itself. 



FACTS, RULES AND PRECEPTS. 

1. Do as you would be done by. 

2. Reverence Deity. 

3. Treat your fellow man as an equal. 

4. Respect all legally constituted authority. 

5. Extend courtesy to all persons, but humble 
yourself to none. 

6. Demand your natural rights at all times. 

7. Tender that kind of respect which is due to 
all persons — to the man, the respect due to the 
man; to the woman, the respect due to the woman; 
and to the child, the respect due to the child. To 
every one the kind that is due. 

8. Honor your parent*. 

9. Appropriate not that which is held in trust 
by another, without the consent of the trustee — 
i. e., Steal not. 

10. Practice no deception, except towards a 
Devil. 

11. Live and let live. 

12. All religion and theology which does not 

conform to this Eureka Platform, reject as blas- 
phemy. 

13. All property is the property of God. 



18 



14. Individual man can hold property only in 
trust. 

15. Established and received government is 
God's representative. 

16. A government reflects the people. 

17. Be honorable in all things. 

18. Covet the like of all things that are good, 
and procure the like so far as you can, honorably, 
but never dishonorably. 

19. Practice virtue and discard vice. 

20. Never encourage or protect an evil doer in 
his villainy. 

21. Free thought is the base of all correct 
thought. 

22. A man who would trammel thought is a 
curse to the human race. 

23. A man who voluntarily refuses to think is a 
nuisance. 

24. All live men are infidels, honorably. 

25. Beware of such as accuse others of infi- 
delity, with a view to persecution and prejudice; 
such accusers and designers are devils incarnate. 

26. Parents should prefer the members of their 
own family. 

27. A Devil is any person, individual or thing 
in opposition to an honorable, a normal or healthy 
condition or state. Such persons, individuals or 
things are the only real Devils; all other devils are 
imaginary — bugaboos, got up to frighten children 
and silly people. 

28. All persons are creatures of circumstances; 
and under the circumstances no person could be 
anything different from what he is. 

29. As circumstances change, things themselves 
must and will change. 

30. God in all his attributes is Pure Space. 

31. Created things are so many varieties of 
special space, composed of special attributes of 
Deity, massed or thrown together for a purpose. 

32. Be charitable to all, for the reason that all 
are creatures of circumstance. 



19 



33. Neglect no fit opportunity to improve your 
own circumstances, or the circumstances of others. 

31. Be a Free thinker always; and think with 
all the power of mind that God has given you. 

35. "Render no verdict upon a question until 
you have examined the arguments, pro and con. 

36. The man who would bar the access to 
sources of argument is a curse to the human race. 

37. Never take a leap in the dark, either 
through fear or hallucination . 

33. Base your argument upon axioms, and not 
upon ipse dixit. 



THE REFORMATION. 

1. Let that reform, which does not square itself 
by this Eureka Platform. 

2. Let the anathemas of such as dissent from 
this Eureka Platform revert upon those in whom 
they originate. 



THE DEVIL DISCUSSED, AND HOW TO 
KILL THE DEVIL. 

When we consult the happiness of mankind, 
common understanding dictates that we should not 
defraud them — that we should not defraud them in 
our necessary commercial transactions, that we 
should not defraud them in the quality of any in- 
formation we presume to impart, and that we 
should not assume a false status towards them, in 
any particular. 

It is, therefore, very right and proper, that they 
should be correctly informed, in what appertains 
to the Devil, as well as in that which appertains to 
other subjects of inquiry. 

It is the more necessary that we should have a 
correct apprehension of the Devil, from the fact 
£hat he is so much talked about, so much dreaded 
or feared, and so universally considered as the 
arch enemy of man. 



20 



The Devil is represented by Christian writers 
and speakers, as one who is going about as a roar- 
ing lion, seeking whom he may devour; and 
Christian speakers always caution their hearers to 
beware of the Devil, and some assert that they are 
making a constant and unremitting effort to kill 
the Devil, and they are always on the alert to 
gather in, or enlist recruits, for the purpose of 
righting against the Devil. 

Those who are so enthusiastic in their warfare 
against the Devil, we expect, need not to be in- 
formed, that, before we can kill the Devil, we must 
first find out who and what the Devil is; and like- 
wise, we must find out his whereabouts. 

Who, then, and what is, the Devil? And where, 
shall we Snd his lurking places? 

In order to come at the Old Gentleman aright, it 
is well, perhaps, to dip a little into his history, as 
handed down to us by our forefathers — and, in 
order to do this, it will be expedient, r and neces- 
sary, to take into consideration the various theo- 
ries which have been entertained with regard to 
his Highness — for the same reason that we cannot 
expect to catch fish on the peak of a mountain, or 
to have a fox chase upon the ocean. 

I say, then, with the greatest propriety, that we 
must examine the theories involving the character- 
istics, or attributes, of the Devil. 

The theories which, in my humble opinion, it is 
well to examine, are the following: 

1. The Dual Theory. 

2. The Subordinate Theory. 

3. The Progressive Theory. 

4. The Deductive Theory. 

5. The Negative Theory, and, last, 

6. The Necessity Theory. 

After toaving examined the foregoing theories, 
and determined the characteristics and haunts of 
the Devil, there will then, perhaps, appear a ra- 
tionality in devising some methods for the purpose 
of counteracting, or of killing him. 



21 



Taking the various theories, in the order in 
which we have presented them, we must consider, 
in the first place, the Dual Theory. 

By the Dual Theory, we understand the existence 
of two Primitive Powers — the one, an advocate of 
what is vulgarly called Good, and the other, ar ad- 
vocate of what is vulgarly called Evil. 

The first of these Primitive Powers has been 
denominated God, and the second has been denom- 
inated Devil. 

These two Powers, according to the theory, have 
been considered as diametrically opposite, and 
antagonistic — the one to the other. 

Now, what are we to deduce from this Dual The- 
ory? 

If we suppose the existence of two Primitive 
Pow T ers, we may, with the same propriety, suppose 
the existence of any number of Primitive Powers 
— and these Powers continually at war among 
themselves, and every one striving for the mastery. 
Consequently, we may, with the same propriety, 
fall back upon the Heathen Mythology, which ad- 
vocates the existence of a plurality of Deities. 

And what is the culmination of such doctrine? 

Why, it is, simply, that we have no God at all. 

But, that we have a God, is demonstrated by all 
Nature, in the established, fixed and undeviating 
laws. 

All natural laws give unmistakable evidence of a 
Supreme and Overruling Power, or God, and we 
cannot rationally conclude that God is anything 
more nor less than the sole exclusive Primitive 
Power — and that, whatever exists in conjunction 
with that Power, is permissive on His part, created 
by Him, and can have no effect, except by His 
mandate or permission. 

This must be our'conclusion, provided we accept 
the doctrine of the existence of a Deity. 

According to the Dual Theory, therefore, the 
Devil dwindles into nothing. 

Next in order comes the Subordinate Theory. 



22 



This Subordinate Theory, being expounded, or 
defined, goes to the effect that the Devil is a created 
being, created by God Himself. 

If the Devil is a created being, created by God, 
whether God created him in omniscience, or in 
non-omniscience, it matters not. 

If God created him, God had only, at the time 
of such creation, to mass such of His own attrib- 
utes as were necessary, when isolated, to form a 
Devil, and the Devil then appeared, with the form 
and attributes imposed by Deity. 

The Devil had no part in his own creation, and 
hence he is not responsible for himself. God alone 
is responsible, and, therefore, if God permits the 
Devil to exist, his actions — the Devil's actions — 
are only the actions of God, worked by His tool, 
the Devil. 

This Subordinate Theory, therefore, brings the 
Devil to a cipher again. 

Having as yet made nothing of the Devil from 
the trwo theories examined, we proceed to test the 
theory next in order, the Progressive, or German 
Theory. 

We can give no better definition of the Progres- 
sive Theory than by illustrating with a boy and a 
snow ball. 

Those persons who have lived in a country in 
which snow is common in the winter season of 
the year, have, undoubtedly, witnessed the sport of 
school boys when recent snow is falling, or lying 
upon the ground. 

The boy gathers up a handful, packs it a little, 
then throws it down and begins to roll it. As he 
rolls, the loose material of snow sticks to the sur- 
face, and, as he continues to roll, the ball increases 
in size, and it will continue to increase so long as 
the boy continues to roll it. 

So with the Devil, according to the Progressive, 
or German Theory. He was at first a myth, as it 
were, but, by continued turning and rolling, his 
dimensions increased, until at length he became 
almost infinitely large. 



23 



The modus operandi we will now elucidate : 

According to the Jewish Bible, aud other records, 
it would seem that anterior to the Babylonish cap- 
tivity of the Jews, these people did not pretend to 
any knowledge of the Devil whatever. 

The Serpent who is represented to have seduced 
Eve is spoken of merely as a beast of the field — 
" The most subtle of all the beasts of the field.' ■ 

This Serpent, however, seems to have been the 
ovary in which the germ of the Devil was wrapped 
up, or the point from which he began to be turned 
over and magnified. 

Satan is next spoken of as an angel, whose chief 
business was to accuse, seduce and afflict, acting, 
as it were, somewhat in the capacity of a prosecut- 
ing attorney; but his locality seems not to have 
been stationary. Sometimes he was found in 
Heaven, sometimes in other places, and his pres- 
ence at any place seems to have been a matter of 
expediency. 

Next in order Demons were introduced, and the 
seducer of Eve was dubbed with the title of Devil, 
the Demons introduced being charged as the au- 
thors of all calamities. 

A little later, the Jewish exiles who had been 
banished to Persia, in consequence of their cap- 
tivity, were permitted to return to their native 
land; and subsequent events, appertaining to the 
Jewish theology, prove that the imagination of the 
exiles during their banishment had not been idle. 

They brought back with them from Persia the 
Theory of Angelology and Demonology, a modifi- 
cation of the Dual Theory of Zoroaster, which they 
found in Persia. 

Next in order of progression, the Devil and the 
Demons became considered as fallen angels. 

This last doctrine, however, was never endorsed 
by that sect of the Jews denominated Sadducees. 
The Sadducees held it to be anti-Mosaic, or opposed 
to the doctrines taught by Moses. 

Giving the Devil and the Demons another turn, 



24 



we find them invested, in the New Testament, in 
consequence of the increment which they have 
gathered, with the power of taking possession of 
the bodies of living persons, and of using those 
bodies for their own special purposes, keeping, at 
the same time, the natural spirit in abeyance, some- 
what after the manner in which the spirits of de- 
parted persons, in these latter times, are said to 
use the bodies of the spiritual mediums. 

The Devils and Demons, as thus represented, 
seem to have had the option to control the body 
possessed, until they were cast out by some superi- 
or power, or to retire according to their own 
pleasure. 

The idea that the Devil or Prime Devil obtained 
his followers, by seducing them from their allegi- 
ance to God, does not seem to have been intro- 
duced until set forth in the Book of Revelations — 
in which book, there occurs a representation, that 
upon a certain time there was war in heaven- 
Michael and his angels fought in behalf of God; 
and the Devil and his angels fought for themselves. 
The finale of the war is represented to have been, 
that the Devil and his angels were cast out; the 
fact of their being cast out implying that previous- 
ly, they had dwelt in heaven, in common with the 
rest. 

But the Progressive Theory does not seem to have 
reached its acme, nor does the Devil, according to 
that theory, seem to have acquired his full dimen- 
sions until the fertile imagination of the noted 
English poet, John Milton, gave it the finishing 
touch. 

Many of my readers, probably, have read the 
poem of John Milton, entitled, "Paradise Lost," 
in which the Devil is set forth according to the 
views of the author, and is made to assume his 
greatest magnitude. And to such as have read 
that poem, it would probably be something like a 
repetition in this case to exhibit the theory of Mil 
ton; yet, as that theory is the climax, as it were, of 



25 



the Progressive Theory of the Devil, we shall, for 
the benefit of such as have not read the poem, 
present the Devil as figured by Milton. 

AccordiDg to the imagination of Milton, God, 
upon a certain occasion, saw fit to announce to the 
host of heavenly angels that He would make His 
Son co-ordinate with Himself — that is, He would 
incorporate His Sod into the God-head — and that 
He should require the Heavenly Host to do the 
same homage to the Son as was done to the 
Father. 

It seems also that, up to the time specified, the 
Devil and his angels had been loyal, and angels of 
light, as denominated. 

The preceding announcement of God met the 
approbation of a great part of the Heavenly Host, 
but it did not please the Devil. 

Consequently, the Devil rebelled and drew after 
him many of the lesser angels. And thus the 
Host of Heaven was arrayed in two parties, in hos- 
tile attitude — the one against the other -and war 
in heaven was the immediate result. 

The Devil fought at the head of his own host, 
.and Michael commanded on the part of God. 

The two armies fought for several days, when, 
at the expiration of a certain day's fight, the le- 
gions of the Devil seemed to have fallen towards 
the negative. He, therefore, during the night suc- 
ceeding, invented gunpowder and artillery — some- 
thing hitherto entirely unknown in Heaven. 

On the day following, when the hostile ranks 
approached each other, the Devil greeted his oppo- 
nents with a discharge of his artillery. 

This new mode of warfare somewhat astonished 
Michael and his host; and the sudden shock and 
effect was such as to cause the Heavenly Host to 
tumble hither and thither in various directions. 
But they soon recovered themselves, and they re- 
quired but a short time to devise a method to dis- 
pose of the artillery or engines of the Devil. 

Each member of Michael's army betook himself 



26 



to the hills or mountains, (it seems they had 
mountains in Heaven at that time,) and every one, 
seizing a hill or mountain by its peak, bore it with- 
out difficulty through the air; and everyone, hurl- 
ing his hill or his mountain upon the host of Satan, 
covered that host and the engines in one universal 
burial. 

The Devils finally got out, but they lost their 
engines. 

The day after this matter of the artillery, God 
concluded He would finish the battle. 

In accordance with this view, he directed his 
Son to take his thunder and lightning, mount his 
chariot, and drive the Devil and hia host out of 
Heaven. 

The son, therefore, in obedience /to command, 
drove the Devil out of heaven into hell. 

A short time subsequent, according to Milton, 
the Devil made a journey to the earth, and suc- 
ceeded in seducing man from God, his maker, and 
so on, etc. 

Thus we have presented what we call the Pro- 
gressive Theory of the De\il. 

At first we can see only, at best, the germ of the 
Devil in the beast that tempted Eve; but like a 
snow-ball he goes on to increase, until finally he 
appears in all his magnitude, as set forth by Mil- 
ton. 

I will allow my readers to draw their own con- 
clusion of a devil founded upon this theory. 

Next in order comes the Deductive Theory. 

This Deductive Theory is composed simply of 
the conclusions drawn from the theories already 
examined, all of which conclusions apparently re- 
duce the Devil to a cypher. 

We prefer, however, in this case to allow our 
readers, every one, to form his own deductive 
theory, being impressed with the belief that the 
theories formed would be as various as the indi- 
viduals forming them . 

The theories formed would depend mainly upon 



27 



the antecedents and the prejudices of the indi- 
viduals forming such theories. 

The conclusions and the summing up of some 
would reduce the Devil to zero so far as yet re- 
viewed; whilst the inference of others would ex- 
alt him into a being of enormous magnitude. 

According to our programme, we have two re- 
maining theories to be examined — the Negative 
and the Necessity Theories — either of which, in 
my humble opinion, is far more weighty and im- 
portant than what has gone before. 

We purpose now to examine these two theories, 
and then to conclude our subject by giving some 
practical directions as to the best methods of 
counteracting the Devil, and of approximating to 
his extinction or death. 

Resuming again our investigation, we take up 
the Negative Theory. 

To illustrate properly this Negative Theory, let 
us specially notice the following questions and the 
philosophic reply to each : 

What is Cold.? It is the absence of Heat. 

What is Darkness? Absence of Light. 

What is Sickness? Absence of Health. 

What is Death? Absence of Life. 

What is Partial Evil? Absence of Universal 
Good. 

What is Chaos, or Universal Evil? Absence of 
Any or All Good. 

In this mode of illustration, we notice, that the 
Negative terms, Cold, Darkness, Death, etc., each, 
denotes the absence of its more desirable counter- 
part. Hence, figuratively, we denote these Nega- 
tive terms, when used negatively, or in opposition 
to a counterpart more desirable, as so many Devils 
— the term Devil merely signifying something 
which does not conduce to our benefit. 

Hence, also, we may have irany Minor Devils; 
but the Great Devil, Arch Fiend, or Satan, would 
be Chaos or Universal Evil. 

A Minor Devil may be anything in opposition to 



28 



a normal, healthy or desirable condition or state. 

There is one of these Negative Devils which has 
always haunted the world to such an extent, and 
which still continues to haunt and oppress, and 
which is so subtle in some of its forms that it de- 
serves not merely a passing, but a Special Notice. 

This subtle Devil, to which I now refer, is the 
Partial Evil, Slavery. This Devil needs to be spe- 
cially interviewed or noticed. 

In order to prosecute this special interview effi- 
ciently, it may be well to refer to the times, the 
places and the forms at which, and in which, this 
subtle Devil has manifested itself. 

Let us begin the interview by referring to the 
savage tribes of antiquity. 

It seems to have been a custom among those 
tribes to make slaves of such as were taken captive 
in war, for the reason that the conqueror could 
make the captives more profitable by subjecting 
them to slavery than by putting them to death. 

Hence the Devil found a convenient place to set 
his foot among the ancient savages. 

We will now consider the footholds of this sub- 
tle Devil in the following order: 

1. In ancient Palestine. 

2. In ancient Greece. 

3. In ancient Eome. 

4 . In the former United States of America. 

5. In modern Europe, and, 

6. In the more recent United States of America. 
We will observe, also, that we shall notice only 

those forms in which slavery appeared the most 
conspicuous in each of the afore-named footholds, 
except in modern Europe and in the recent United 
States. 

In ancient Palestine any citizen might become a 
slave, either voluntarily, or forcibly. There was a 
chance, however, of redemption, and no native 
Hebrew could be forcibly retained in slavery for a 
longer term than seven years. 

In addition to the seven years arrangement, every 



29 



fifty years there was a jubilee, at which jubilee all 
native Hebrew slaves were manumitted. 

Among the Hebrews there were slaves, also, not 
Hebrew, the regulations concerning whom do not 
appear so distinct. 

In ancient Greece there were two principal classes 
of slaves, the conquered Races and the domestic 
Race. 

The conquered races are represented as occupy- 
ing a positisn resembling that of Serfs; and their 
condition is supposed to have been the mildest 
form of slavery. 

The domestic slaves were bought and sold like 
merchandise; yet their their treatment is repre- 
sented to have been mild. 

In the earlier days of ancient Rome the slaves of 
that locality were placed on a par with quadru- 
peds; and they were treated accordingly. In the 
later days, the slaves were treated with more con- 
sideration; but they were still slaves. 

Slavery, as it existed in the former United States 
of America, hardly needs a description, as most of 
us, perhaps know, that the subjects of it were mostly 
of African descent; that the treatment of the slave 
was various, according to the master; and that the 
slave continued such at the master's pleasure, and 
was bought and sold like other chattels. 

In the prominent natiuns of modern Europe, 
slavery has two lines of demarcation, more or 
less distinct. The one is the line drawn between 
the Nobles and the Plebeians or^Commons, and the 
other is that determined by the descent of property. 

It will, perhaps, astonish some when we tell 
them that slavery exists in the present or more 
recent United States of America, or in the United 
States, as reconstructed subsequent to the late 
civil war. 

The reason that slavery, as it now exists, is not 
recognized, is owing to the predjudices, and to the 
sentiments, instilled into the rising generation. 

Slavery as it now exists is made so subtle that 



30 



an intellect, blunted by prejudice, cannot perceive 
it; but until the perception of the people can be 
rendered sufficiently keen or acute to perceive the 
existence, I fear we shall not be able to kill the 
Devil, or to approximate very much toward his 
death. 

The manner in which slavery exists at the pres- 
ent time, we will now proceed to explain. 

We shall base our exposition upon these axioms: 

1. That all men by nature are entitled to equal 
facilities in the prosecution of happiness. 

2. That property is the first essential to happi- 
ness. 

How is it that some men are born millionaires 
and others are born in the most degraded state of 
poverty ? 

How is it that many pass a life of comparative 
ease, under the protection of the affluence inherited 
from their forefathers, whilst others pass a life of 
comparative destitution and miserj^ in consequence 
of the poverty which they have inherited from 
their ancestors? 

And how is it that the poverty inherited by so 
many throws such multitudes into the vortex of 
crime, and thus opens to them the doors of the 
penitentiaries and the avenues to the gallows? 

All these questions, and numerous others that 
might be asked, give unmistakable evidence of the 
existence of a most subtle kind of slavery on the 
part of a great portion of our population. 

And what is the answer to these questions ? 

The answer simply is that there exist imperfect- 
ions in our Radical or Constitutional Law. That 
our Constitutional law is not based upon the 
Moral Law; and consequently, that it is does not 
embody the principles set forth in the two axioms 
above stated. 

The present Devil, Slavery, then is the offspring 
of the Devil, Partial Evil, as found in our Consti- 
tutional, and to some extent, in our Statute Law. 

Terminating, for the present, what we have to 



31 



say relating to the Negative Theory of the Devil, 
we pass on to the consideration of the Necessity 
Theory. 

In commenting upon this Necessity Theory, we 
will call the attention of our readers to that article 
of our Creed which states: ''We believe that each 
individual man is being created during his entire 
stay upon the earth, and that he is thus being 
fitted or tested for some ulterior position. 

According to the Necessity Theory, the various 
Devils set forth and illustrated in our Negative 
Theory are so many necessities made use of, as 
circumstances dictate, for the purpose of finishing 
up the creation of the man. 

In the creation of one man, therefore, a host of 
Dev Is may necessarily be brought into requisition; 
whilst in the creation of another man very few 
Devils may be needed or required. 

In brief, the Devils are so many instruments in 
the hand of God to perfect His creation. 

Although the Devils may be considered the in- 
struments of God in his mode of completing the 
creation of man, yet man is so endowed with rea- 
son, that if he makes a right use of his reasoning 
powers in the observance of Natural Law r s, includ- 
ing the Moral Law, he may avoid the necessity of 
these Devils to a great extent, or, in many cases, he 
may counteract the Devil, and in some cases he 
may absolutely kill a Devil. 

"VVe will briefly give some special directions by 
which people may counteract or perhaps kill a 
Devil whenever a suitable opportunity offers. 

When we see a blind man whom we know to be 
destitute; when we see the poverty-stricken laid 
upon a bed of sickness; when w r e see the widow 
and the orphans mourning for the necessaries of 
life, and in the thousand similar cases, the distri- 
bution of a few dimes will do much towards coun- 
teracting the Devil. 

When we see a man, who, through misfortune, 
is about to abandon himself to the Demon of In- 



32 



temperance, simply, the extension of the hand of 
friendship, will sometimes do much towards coun- 
teracting the Devil. 

When w T e see a delicate female, who, perhaps, 
has fallen into the trap of the deceiver, and who, 
consequently, is about to cast herself away, kind- 
ness of word and manner will many times coun- 
teract the Devil. 

And there are many cases in which a kind word 
alone will drive the Devil to his hiding place. 

Thus, it would appear, that the ways and the 
means by which we may counteract, or kill the 
Minor Devils, are almost infinite; and we would 
most assuredly say to all persons: Never negleet 
an opportunity to kill a Devil. 

But there still remains that Great Devil, that 
subtle Devil, Slavery. How are we to come at him, 
to counteract and destroy him? 

Why, simply, in this, and the only way : 

We must incorporate into our Political Constitu- 
tion the following principles, which principles flow 
directly from the Moral Law, and from just notions 
of Deity and of Government. 

We will state these principles in order: 

1. That all property is the property of God. 

2. That received and established Government is 
the immediate representative of God. 

3. That individual man can hold property only 
in trust. 

4. That, at the demise of an individual, the 
property found in his possession should revert to 
Government, as God's representative. 

5. That annually the reverted property found 
in possession of Government shall be divided 
equally among the young persons, just at the time 
having arrived at the age of majority. 

Let us incorporate these principles into our Po- 
litical Constitution, and let them be acted out, and 



33 



then, speaking figuratively, we shall have fallen 
upon the time, when 

41 No more shall nation against nation rise, 
Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes — 
When useless lances into scythes shall bend, 
And the broad falchion in the ploughshare end; 
When lambs, with wolves, shall graze the verdant mead, 
And boys, with flowery bands, the tiger lead." 

Then, also, after the similitude of the Watch- 
man crying the hours of the night, as we stand 
upon the battlements of time, watching the signals 
as they occur, we may figuratively exclaim — 

" Traveler, lo ! the Prince of Peace! 
Lo! the Son of God is come!' 1 

And then the Subtle Devil, Slavery, will be dead. 



INDEX. 

Church Articles 2 

State Articles 7 

Currency 9 

Diagram of Existences 9 

Notes to Diagram of Existences 11 

Theory of Creation 12 

Recognition 14 

Creation and Economy of Creation 15 

Facts, Rules and Precepts 17 

The Reformation 19 

The Devil discussed, and how to kill the Devil 19 



